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The 2024 Fifth Annual Willie Thrower Award Ceremony

The 2024 Willie Thrower Award Ceremony was held on March 29, 2025 at the Knead Community Cafe in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.

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Ceremony Photo Gallery

Using the WTAF Award selection process, a total of 63 ballots were submitted by coaches and media members who selected the following six finalists for the 2024 Fifth Annual Willie Thrower Award:

2024 WTAF Finalists

Nolan DiLucia

JUNIOR - QUARTERBACK
PETERS TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments:

• 2024 WPIAL 5A Finalist
• 2023 WPIAL 5A Champion
• Three Year Varsity Starter (2022-2024 – DB, 2023-2024- QB)
• Three year varsity letter winner
• Record as a Starting QB – (26-4)
• 2023 & 2024 Allegheny Six (5A) All Conference - QB
• 2023 & 2024 Almanac All-Star
• 2023 & 2024 PA Class 5A – All-State QB
• 2024 Observer Reporter Terrific 22 – QB
• 2023 Almanac MVP
• 2023 PA Today Class 5A Player of the Year
• 2023 Trib-Live HSSN 5A Player of the Year
• 2023 Trib-Live HSSN Terrific 25
• 2023 KDKA Radio WPIAL 5A Championship Player of the Game
• 2022 Allegheny Six- Honorable Mention DB
• 2022 Almanac Rookie of the Year
• 2022 Peters Township Leading tackler
• Career Passing Yards 6,040, Career Rushing yards 1049
• All-time Peters Township career passing yardage and passing TDs leader
• Peters Township High Honor Roll
• 4.2 Weighted GPA
• Class President – Peters Township Class of 2026
• Two-time letterwinner – Peters Township High School Baseball team
• Two-year Starter on Peters Township High School Baseball team

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Joey Felitsky

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JUNIOR- QUARTERBACK
NORTH CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments: 

• #1 in Passing Yards in the WPIAL
• 2,983 Yards/24 Touchdowns
• #11 All Time in Passing Yards in WPIAL History
• 2024 1st Team All-Conference QB
• Completed 240 of 355 passes (68%)
• 3a HomeTeam Collects Player of the Year
• 2024 Willie Thrower Award Finalist
• 2024 1st Team Butler Eagle Sweet 16
• Mr. PA Football Week 6 Player of the Week
• PA Today Week 2 Player of the Game
• One year Varsity letter
• 3.6 GPA

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Tanner Pfeuffer

Tanner Pfeuffer - cropped_edited.jpg

SENIOR - QUARTERBACK
BETHEL PARK HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments: 

2024 stats:
• Team record- 10-3
• 2,656 passing yards
• 37 total TDs
• 31 passing TDs


CAREER STATS:
• 88 career TDs
• 66 passing TDs
• 6,044 Passing yards
• 359 for 665 pass attempt


FOOTBALL RECOGNITIONS:
• Willie Thrower finalist
• 3x all-conference QB
• 2024 Trib-Review terrific 25
• Almanac MVP
• Pittsburgh Post Gazette Athlete of the Week
• 3 year starter
• 2 year captain


HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RECORDS:
• Top 20 passer of all time in the WPIAL
• Single Season Bethel Park Passing Yards record 2,656
• 1st all time in Bethel Park career passing yards 6,044
• 1st all time in Bethel Park single season passing TDs 31
• 1st all time in Bethel Park career passing TDs 66
• 1st and 2nd all time in Bethel Park passing yards in a single game
• 1st and 2nd all time in Bethel Park touchdowns in a single game


BASKETBALL CAREER:
• 2 year All conference Forward
• 2 year starter
• 2 year captain


ACADEMICS:
• 4.3 weighted highschool GPA
• AP quarterly champion
• Bethel Park high honor roll
• 3 years in National Honor Society
• Mentor in Bethel Parks’ Best Buddies program
• Committed to Frostburg State to study Sustainability Construction

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Matt Sieg

Matt Sieg - cropped.jpg

JUNIOR - QUARTERBACK
FORT CHERRY HIGH SCHOOL

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Accomplishments:

2024 STATS/ ACCOLADES
• 14-1 Record
• WPIAL Class A Champions
• 2024 All State First Team QB
• 2024 Black Hills Conference MVP Offense
• First Team All-Conference ATH/ DB
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 Selection
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Class A Player of the Year
• Tribune Review Terrific 25 Selection
• Triblive Player of the Year
• Observer Reporter Terrific 22
• Observer Reporter Player of the Year
• Penn Live First Team All-State
• KDKA Radio Super 7 Class A Player of the Year
• Mr. PA Football Finalist
• Became First Player in WPIAL history to throw and rush for 1,000 Yards 3x
• 1,340 Passing Yards 20 Touchdowns
• 1,840 Rushing Yards 32 Touchdowns


CAREER STATS/ RECORDS
• 4,231 Yards Passing 51 TDs
• 6,211 Yards Rushing 104 TDs
• 10,463 Yards from Scrimmage
• 160 Career Touchdowns (Passing, Rushing, All Purpose)
• 37 Career Wins/ 2x WPIAL Football Champion
• WPIAL/PIAA Track Champion 4x100m Relay
• Became First Player in WPIAL history to throw and rush for 1,000 Yards 3x

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Jy'Aire Walls

JyAire Walls - cropped_edited.jpg

SENIOR - QUARTERBACK
CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

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• Patiently waited three seasons for his chance at a starting role for the 2024 Vikings behind 2023 Willie Thrower Award winner and 2022 finalist Payton Wehner.
• 2024 WPIAL 6A Champion
• 2024 PIAA 6A State Runner Up
• 2024 6A First Team All-State QB
• 2024 WPIAL 6A First Team QB
• 2,829 Passing Yards, averaged 18.5 yards per completion.
• 29 Passing Touchdowns
• 11 Rushing Touchdowns
• Led a Central Catholic offense that surpassed 50 points in scoring five times during the season.
• Attained career-high in passing yardage with 260 yards and five TDs in game vs. Shaler on Oct. 4. Completed 13-15 attempts (.867 percentage).
• In Seneca Valley game on October 18, connected on 10-16 for 254 yards
• In WPIAL title game vs. North Allegheny on Nov. 16, connected on 10 of 17 attempts for 207 yards and three TDs as Central won it’s ninth WPIAL football title
• After being recruited by a number of colleges, will be attending North Carolina A&T State University to fulfill a dream of attending an HBCU institution.

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Congratulations to Matt Sieg - our 2024 Willie Thrower Award Winner!

The Willie Thrower Award Foundation

a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit

 

For more info or questions contact George Guido

Email: geoguido@earthlink.net 

Phone: 724-309-4713

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